This doesn't sound like a Chinese proverb at all. The Chinese didn't have use minutes as a measurement for time until very recently.
– deutschZuidJul 14 '12 at 11:06

1

Can you provide more info and context? I searched the translated version by @NS.X, but I did not find any origin either. I haven't heard of such a proverb in Chinese, but I can give you a similar proverb in Japanese. >聞くは一時の恥 聞かぬは一生の恥 >Asking is a shame in a while, while not asking is a shame in all your life
– HuangJul 15 '12 at 1:58

@JamesJiao, that's a great point. I don't find it sound like a Chinese proverb either because it lacks the compactness or the unique perspective that most Chinese proverbs have. Maybe linguistic statistics can prove (or falsify) that. On a separate note, I used to see pamphlets full of fake quotes in the bookstores as well as school libraries, so it is totally possible this "proverb" was made up by an editor and somehow got wide spread.
– NS.X.Jul 16 '12 at 6:18

2

Give a reference: “臣昨劝陛下勤于好问，而圣训有曰：‘问则明’。臣退与朝士言之，莫不称善。而侧听十旬，陛下之端拱渊默犹昔也，臣窃惑焉。夫既知如是而明，则当知反是而暗。明则辉光旁烛，无所不通；暗则是非得失，懵然不辨矣。” from baike.baidu.com/view/236517.htm问则明 in the sentence is to say: One can learn and understand more by asking.
– coolcfanJul 16 '12 at 7:53

Probably the reference to 利希顿堡 is incorrect (I can't find a reference to a work where he used it), but it can be found on many websites. Anyway, I doubt it is Chinese.
– BertRJul 16 '12 at 8:04

@BertR, I don't think 利希顿堡 is the author. The quote compilation that contains this line is usually cited as a whole, as you can see here, where 利希顿堡 is the author of the quote right above this quote. I think that is how it was mistaken.
– NS.X.Jul 16 '12 at 9:08

I am a native speaker. I don't think it is originally a Chinese proverb.

A more idiomatic translation would be:

敢问耻一时，不问耻一生。

or

问则耻一时，不问终身羞。

I suspect it is Japanese in origin. When I searched it, a lot of Japanese results came up and many people asked how to translate the Japanese proverb "聞くは一時の恥 聞かぬは一生の恥". The Japanese sentence looks quite idiomatic to me, because "聞かぬ" is an archaic form. Modern Japanese would say "闻かないの".

I also didn't find the chinese proverb, but I think there is a similar proverb can translate the sentence. This sentence is "敢于发问，羞耻一时，耻于发问，愚昧一生”，so this sentence teach you "不耻下问 bù chǐ xià wèn". (not feel ashamed to ask and learn from one's subordinates). This common Chinese proverb comes from 《论语·公冶长》：“敏而好学，不耻下问 ("The analects of Confucius · GongYeChang" Bright as (he) is, (he) is fond of studying. Feel not ashamed to learn from one's subordinates).